Torgesen Family Times

{We are trying to enjoy and record the moments that make life special}

I found this funny article about the types of people that are on facebook. See link above.

Article:

Like just about everyone who joins Facebook, I started an account two months ago hoping to reconnect with old friends, network within my chosen profession and find out which people from my high school are still hot.What I didn't expect was how much the online social networking community would be just like going back to 11th grade. There are fewer people wearing Depeche Mode T-shirts and more people sharing random things about themselves, and my locker combination has been replaced with a password. But the sting of rejection, the sanctimony of the popular kids, dressing up for picture day and even the random chatter in the hallways is pretty much exactly the same.Facebook, which started as a networking site for Harvard University students and is now based in Palo Alto, boasts 175 million active users. As of December, hundreds of thousands of new users were joining each day.Amazingly, it's possible to break them down into a handful of stereotypes. Here are is nine of the most common friend types on Facebook. Each one has been assigned an annoyance factor, on a scale of 0 to 100. Please add your own categories to the SFGate.com version of this story.Just as "The Breakfast Club" featured the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess and the criminal, your Facebook friend list probably includes the guy who won't stop posting pictures of his dog, the girl who constantly gives spoilers of shows you have on TiVo and the dude who uses a picture of Boba Fett from the "Star Wars" movies as his profile photo.There's also your friend who posts about nothing except Barack Obama, your co-worker who uses Facebook to give constant updates about the crazy new diet he's trying (John Doe is getting tired of cabbage soup!) and the annoying relative who has discovered Facebook as a new tool to link quasi-racist, quasi-sexist and no-question-about-it homophobic jokes.

The Facebook ghost: Logs on to Facebook once, probably just to stalk an ex-girlfriend, forgets his password and then never checks in again. All that remains of the 12 minutes he spent on the social networking site is the blue silhouette that Facebook assigns to people who have no profile photo (and 123 unanswered friend requests).Annoyance factor: 35

Extreme Makeover, Facebook edition: She was the ugly duckling from high school who is now working as a personal trainer. He's the guy who got shoved in the locker in elementary school, and recently shaved his unibrow and went to a few Tony Robbins seminars. Now they're going through the yearbook, friending everyone from A to Z, just to show how much you blew it.Annoyance factor: 15

The Facebook snob: Treats Facebook like the cool kids' table in junior high. Only allows close confidants and/or good-looking people in the circle and refuses to friend everyone else. If this person wanted to be honest, he or she would have a picture of Lindsay Lohan from "Mean Girls" as a profile photo.Annoyance factor: 92

The TMI: Most people on Facebook update their profile every few days or weeks. This Facebooker feels the need to tell the world every tiny detail of his seemingly pointless life: John Doe is tired of working ... John Doe is going to the grocery store to get some kiwis ... John Doe just cleaned the bathroom. On to the kitchen!Annoyance factor: 100

The Friend addict: This is the Facebook equivalent of one of those crazy ladies who gets declared a public nuisance because she has too many cats in her home. Even though this Facebooker only knows 47 people, he/she managed to accumulate 786 friends - mostly by going through other people's profiles and friending perfect strangers.Annoyance factor: 28

The "Hey, remember me?": If it takes more than two sentences to explain who you are in your friend request, you probably shouldn't bother. But this person wants to reconnect anyway, even though the sum total of your experiences together was 48 seconds you spent chatting at a party in 1993.Annoyance factor: 63

The Facebook superfan: The ultimate follower, this friend clogs your newsfeed with multiple daily updates about his bandwagon jumping: John Doe became a fan of Lil' Wayne! ... John Doe became a fan of Watchmen! ... John Doe became a fan of Captain C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger!Annoyance factor: 82

The glory days: Facebook isn't a social networking site for this person. It's another chance to erect a shrine in honor of a former sorority, high school football team or a high score set on a Space Invaders machine in 1984. (Time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister, but boring stories of ...)Annoyance factor: 45

The exhibitionist: If you believe this person's photo albums, her life consists of nothing except lying out at the beach, roller skating in a bikini and doing Jell-O shots at a bar with her boobs hanging out of her dress. The male equivalent will mostly include pictures of himself rock climbing.Annoyance factor: 0

I would add one more type: Real friends that you have that you don't really need to have facebook to keep in contact with, but it makes it easierAnnoyance factor: 0

Lance learned how to make Norwegian hotcakes (kind of like a crepe) from his Grandpa Torgesen so many years ago. And if I have my facts straight, he was 100% Norwegian. It's a mixture of flour, eggs, milk, butter and sugar that is cooked in a frying pan (like a crepe), thin and delicious. The above picture is when Alex was first introduced to making these wonderful breakfast hotcakes, when he was only a couple months old. Below, is a picture from last weekend where Alex helped Daddy make the batter, stir the batter and cook the hotcakes. Lance has modified the recipe a bit, by eliminating/reducing the butter in the batter and eliminating/reducing the sugar in the batter. If Lance had it his way, he would use a spray (like Pam) to cook the hotcakes which is "healthier" than using butter. But, I always request mine to be cooked in butter which has such a richer flavor.

Lance enjoys his hotcakes with a little maple syrup and sugar. His Grandpa would use butter and sugar. I use jam and cottage cheese.

It hasn't quite turned out the way I thought it would and it has been getting to stressful to be away from work for even that small amount of time. We've lost 4 people in my group at work (we used to have 8) and we have missed timelines already and it's only getting worse. We have much more scrutiny on what we are doing and I don't want to be the one who seems like I'm missing some hours. Especially since all our healthcare benefits come from me being employed.

I feel sad about this decision, but at the same time relieved since it hasn't turned out exactly the way I thought it would. Let me explain...

All of the moms at Toddler Group are SAHM (stay-at-home-moms). Some work part-time, though only a few. I've realized that there is a difference. I don't have the same issues they have and vice-versa. What I thought Toddler Group would be is a place where other Moms in my neighborhood would meet and get to know one another and start friendships, have our children play together on weekends, etc. What I have learned is that the difference between SAHM and WOHM (work-outside-the-home-moms) is that SAHM want their child to be socialized by going to toddler group, and some chatting with other Moms and getting out of the house is nice, too. I wasn't looking specifically to have Alex be socialized, he's gotten his fair share through Daycare and now Preschool. But, I was looking for Mom-freindships. That's the "socializing" I need.

I was talking to Lance about all of this and he asked if I knew of any working moms groups and I said no. I feel like there isn't time in a working mom's life (unless really dedicated and/or outgoing) to do it all.

Morning: get up, get ready for work, get kid(s) ready for work, drive to preschool, drop off, drive to work

Day: work, work, work (for 75% of what a man would make in my same job no less - but that's another subject!)

Evening: pick up kid from preschool, kid usually cranky since it's Mom and it's "safe" and it's the end of the day/hungry, drive home, make/fix dinner, try to have a civilized meal with family, play a bit with kid when all you want to do is put them to bed so you can have some quiet time and feel GUILTY for that feeling, time for bed for kid so put on the bedtime routine, kid falls asleep crying while all you want to do is go to bed as well, but you haven't had any time with your husband and all you want to do anyway is fall asleep. But, you stay up becuase the dishes need to be washed and you do actually need to talk about something with your husband. Brush teeth, wash face, fall asleep at 9:15.

Repeat.

Where does Mom-socializing fit in?

So, I had to laugh a pitiful laugh when Lance asked if there were working moms groups out there. I guess I can't even imagine that there is such a thing out there - but I'm sure it does exist. I'm sure other (more outgoing) people have formed informal groups out there that, I'm sure, are great. I would love to do something like that - I just don't know where I'll find the people to do this with and where I'll find the time.

We went to the beach this past weekend and had a fabulous time enjoying the sunshine and (relative) warmth. There was little wind and the sun was out in full force - a wonderful winter day. Alex loved throwing rocks, sticks and shells in the water. When we talk about the beach he always makes the motions of throwing a rock and says "rock" and says "wah-wah" - apparently his associations with the beach. Alex enjoyed balancing on the logs and got help from Daddy and Grandma Judy! We talked about how we will come down to the beach many times this summer and what we would do - clamming, digging, running, playing, laughing, picnicking, etc.

At Wiggle Worms - there is a rock climbing wall. This past weekend Alex climbed right up with Daddy helping to figure out where to put his feet and hands. He was very proud to have gotten all the way to the top.

These pictures are from last year when Lance would wake up with Alex and take him downstairs in the morning to allow me to sleep a bit longer. Alex would play around for a while, then climb up to Lance and eventually fall asleep. He would fall asleep in funny positions - like this one. Daddy is so confortable!

Daddy got Alex an Elmo for Christmas and it moves, talks and is generally annoying as hell. But, Alex does love it! There is a button that makes Elmo dance, sing "Dance with Elmo - c'mon - get down" and wave his hands - and I just had to capture a picture of Alex and Daddy "dancing" with Elmo. Too funny!

Alex has a well established routine of going to sleep - so much so - that even Grandma Sandy did the routine on Friday night and he didn't even miss us! Here is how it goes:

1). Bath or hot tub, or neither2). Night diaper and PJs3). Brush teeth (first Alex brushes, then we help)4). Turn on noisemaker - Alex does this5). Climb into bed, get his lovey (Dog-Dog)6). Drink a sippy of milk while reading books7). Lights out, hugs and kisses8). Take milk away and say "night-night" "I love you" "see you in the morning" etc9). Walk out and close the door (use to be 7:30-8PM now it will be 8-8:30PM)

He doesn't even cry anymore.

We are remembering back to how it used to be with only a few hours of sleep before it was waking all night long every hour or so. I can't believe we did it! But, we are at the promised land! Sleep - glorious - Sleep.

Now - if we could just get him to wake up a little later in the mornings.... instead of 5AM...

The next challenge is putting him to sleep a little later to see if this helps.